EasyJet, the UK low-cost airline, is seeking a new chairman to replace Sir Colin Chandler, who will tell investors at next week’s shareholders’ meeting he plans to retire in the autumn.

The airline has been caught up in a tough boardroom fight in recent months over future strategy with Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the airline’s founder and former chairman, pushing for the group to take a cautious approach to growth.